9otters's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.1
- Helpful Votes:1,898
- Reviews Submitted:63
- First Review:November 24, 2014
- Most Recent Review:February 22, 2016
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Track down the truth about your grandfather's death!
Overall rating
1
/
5
19 of 27 found this review helpful
LOOKS AND PLAYS LIKE GAMES FROM YEARS AGO!
PostedFebruary 21, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Wow. This game actually has me rethinking every one-star rating I ever gave. After a BRILLIANT visual for the opening sequence this game took a nose dive!
Wooden characters with no lip movement, WAY too many cut-scenes, puzzles SO simple, blurry HOGs, and everything moving in slo-o-ow motion.
The demo was such torture I just couldn't make myself finish it, let alone purchase it. I have no words.
In addition to the primitive look and play, this game is so dumbed down its almost insulting. PLEASE try before you buy!
I don't recommend this game.
Ice giants are attacking citizens as a deadly blizzard arrives.
Overall rating
1
/
5
27 of 35 found this review helpful
EVEN BEGINNERS DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS
PostedFebruary 9, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Before I go any further, please notice that the link to the game forum has been moved since BFG changed their "look". Its in the upper right hand corner of each game page and is now called "Get game tips". SO MUCH INFO that you will not find in the reviews section to be found there!
I cannot speak about the complete game. I only played the demo and that was enough for me! I just laughed out loud when Totty_Tara used the word "drivel", because she was SO right on! Ridiculous drivel.
We find needed items in the MOST ridiculous places. A buried screwdriver beside a doll who will not let go of a fan until you put her hair in a pigtail. A car jack holding up a TV stand that's missing a leg. It seems like the Devs created a world, then dropped in boxes and piles of stuff where you find the items you need to open other boxes, bags, windows, etc.
Some of the character animation was so comical! I laughed every time I saw an ice giant lumbering around on his toes. Victor Snow was proportional when he was standing still but whenever he confronted a giant he looked like a different person! A muscle-bound rectangle with barely any articulation.
Simple puzzles and HOGs, same-story-different-day, forgettable music, didn't need the strategy guide, hardly any thinking required--sometimes to the point of the game performing some actions for you. The most entertaining part was locating the hares. Not fun and definitely not CE worthy, IMO.
How do you recommend a game when the best you can say about it is "maybe it would be good if you didn't have anything else to do"? I can't.
I don't recommend this game.
A famous painter finds herself in over her head!
Overall rating
1
/
5
18 of 27 found this review helpful
STRUGGLED JUST TO COMPLETE THE DEMO
PostedFebruary 9, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Struggled to STAY AWAKE to complete the demo. Another reviewer, Steve_San pretty much said it all for me.
The graphics were a far cry from what I'd expect from Eipix--blurry and grainy. The puzzles presented were so simple. The HOS were the standard Eipix fare--without the advantage of crisp graphics. The story moved me not. There was nothing about the demo that grabbed me. Yes, there were things to collect, but where was the game?
I have found this to be the case more often than not with Eipix lately. The very first game of this sort that got me hooked was from this developer. Its disturbing that so many of its recent offerings are just the same old formula. Lots to look at. Little to do. No surprises. No sale.
I don't recommend this game.
Underneath the big top, people aren’t always what they seem.
Overall rating
2
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
NOT EVEN CLOSE TO CE WORTHY.
PostedJanuary 25, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
I couldn't decide on the above title or "SO HAPPY I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT". Both are accurate.
I haven't played any of the other games in this series, but with a name like "Twilight Phenomena" I was hoping for a bit of creepy excitement.
The opening video sequence grabbed me. Animals altered with strange prosthetics, human/animals, animal/humans in dynamic poses and an evil-ish voice promising a dark, sinister story where "everyone has a monster inside". Sounded like just the ticket.
Unfortunately, ERS put the creepy part and the circus part of this game in the demo and the animals turned out to be more sad than scary.
The CE features I care most about are collectibles and/or morphing objects, a strategy guide and extra game play. The main game was short. The only collectibles are seven eggs found ONLY in the bonus game. The game was pretty simple so I didn't use the strategy guide. The bonus game was woefully short.
The majority of the HOGs are the standard list type, visited twice. A couple had misnamed items. Film projectors with very primitive graphics were added to tell some back story and function as HOGs. Extra mini HOGs were provided by a camera. You take a picture when prompted, identify three VERY OBVIOUS items, and receive three pieces of the back story in return. I found them to be more an interruption than a necessary part of the game. There were PLENTY of journals, notes, and cut-scenes to provide all the story you'd EVER need.
ERS artwork was at its best in the cut-scene close-ups. Lots of cut-scenes. LOTS. Otherwise I found the graphics to be average and the colors a bit faded.
Some of the mini-games had an option to play "easy" or "hard" mode.
It just seems that ERS did the bare minimum on this game. We get to--
--find and fix a fishing pole
--catch a fish
--put out a "raging" fire, after taking care of some other stuff
--find and use a glass cutter
--find a ballerina to open a box
--find and open a trap door
--light a lamp
--find and use a feather duster
--refuse to move leaves with our hands
--find and use a couple of gears
--retrieve something from a piranha-infested BOWL
--find and use a slingshot
--find and use glue
--repair a boat
--locate oars
and some other mind-numbing tasks that I can't recall at the moment, but I'm sure you get the idea. I can't imagine that any of these things could be called "spoilers" since we do them in just about every cookie cutter game out there.
--find and fix a fishing pole
--catch a fish
--put out a "raging" fire, after taking care of some other stuff
--find and use a glass cutter
--find a ballerina to open a box
--find and open a trap door
--light a lamp
--find and use a feather duster
--refuse to move leaves with our hands
--find and use a couple of gears
--retrieve something from a piranha-infested BOWL
--find and use a slingshot
--find and use glue
--repair a boat
--locate oars
and some other mind-numbing tasks that I can't recall at the moment, but I'm sure you get the idea. I can't imagine that any of these things could be called "spoilers" since we do them in just about every cookie cutter game out there.
I'll finish by saying that if you aren't checking the forums, then you are definitely missing out! Not only will you find info that you won't find on the review pages, you might come across a great deal you otherwise wouldn't have known about. For instance, I got this CE for FREE! And..."I'M SO HAPPY THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT"!
Looking forward to the day I get to write another review for a FABULOUS game, like Graven: The Purple Moon Prophecy! Until then, happy gaming!
I don't recommend this game.
In this scarier-than-ever story, find out what really happened on prom night, 1964...
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Interesting enough, but vision issues may be a problem for some.
PostedJanuary 16, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
The story and features of this game have been well reviewed. I'm just going to talk about features I thought were positive and issues that may be problems for some players.
While the graphics were generally ok, I found the look of this game to be very "busy". So busy that players with vision issues may have trouble locating objects as some were quite small...in the regular scenes as well as the HOGs. I also thought that although there were many THINGS in most scenes, there was not a lot to DO. I have found that to be true of more recent Eipix games in general.
In the HOGs where the items you had to find were represented with a drawing, I found that some of the drawings were...sloppy? The problem was that I couldn't identify what exactly it was I had to find!
Several of the HOGs began with locating five morphing objects to unlock the list of the rest of the items to be found. I much preferred that instead of trying to find one morphing item among the many. Another Eipix signature. Not much fun sitting and staring at a scene long after the rest of the items have been found.
I really liked that the inventory, map, strategy guide, mini game instructions, etc. were transparent until you moved the cursor over them. Seems like all that "stuff" has been piling up down there lately in many games.
The puzzles were relatively easy. The progressive HOGs were the norm for Eipix. The story was a bit confusing but not awful. Some of the collectible "eyes" were well hidden. The jumpable map was handy. The game could have been longer but I found it interesting enough to want to add it to my collection. Not outstanding but ok. Especially since, lately, good games have been hard to find.
I agree with another reviewer who recommended the most recent, and sadly last, Weird Park. That was a fun game! And lengthy! I also LOVED Graven: the Purple Moon Prophecy, as you can tell from the game recommendation to the side of this review!
One more thing. I have found it to be immensely helpful to check out the game forums. LOTS of helpful info there!
I recommend this game!
Stop a vengeful Titan from destroying Athens – and the world!
Overall rating
1
/
5
7 of 9 found this review helpful
Oh, the game that could have been...
PostedJanuary 3, 2015
9otters
fromsomewhere in the midwest
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
It really is a shame that the sample video and the game "cover art" aren't closer to the TRUE look of this game. If I had to purchase on those alone and then ended up with the "cartoon" that the game actually is, I would have felt that I had been duped! Thankfully, I played the demo too.
"Talking" to a fellow from ancient Greece shouldn't sound like talking to the guy down the street. That just pulls me right out of the game and puts me right in to the "now". Not good.
The issues above and way too many cut-scene interruptions made it impossible for me to immerse myself in this game. Unfortunate, because I love ancient Greek and Roman myths and legends.
A "no buy" for me.
I don't recommend this game.
A deadly secret lurks in the woods of Dire Grove!
Overall rating
2
/
5
21 of 22 found this review helpful
Truly. Don't expect it to be special.
PostedDecember 22, 2014
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
If you love "busy work", game play that is mostly mouse driven, and using the map for the majority of your further moves, you'll love this game. And because its a long game you'll be doing PLENTY of all the above. For me it all added up to "boring".
I gave it a star for the visuals. Crisp and detailed. Another for the super puzzles. They were not as intuitive as those I've played in prior MCF games, but they WERE fun. You have the option of playing as "male" or "female" which really made no difference to the tasks you had to complete or the way you completed them. LOTS of "talking". You'd have a list of questions to ask someone but it made no matter which you'd choose to ask. You had to ask them all before moving on. Nothing that actually affects the outcome beyond adding to the length of the game. Several of the cut scenes just showed the back of someone because you were walking behind them! How does that add to the story?
All the regular puzzles and HOS were nothing you haven't played or seen before. You'll also have to do a lot of what I call "take and put". TAKE a shape from here and PUT it there...and "walk" a long way to do so. Thank goodness for the jumpable map.
Flashlights without batteries, backpacks without zipper pulls, hooks without ropes, hooks without handles, knives without handles, drills without drill bits, etc., etc., etc. People and animals in "dire" situations that just have to wait until you finish the busy work. The same thing you've seen time and time again.
I own the CE version of this game. I played it once and will never play it again. If, like me, you expect this to be "MCF" special, you will be disappointed. Even the CE and its extras couldn't lift this offering above the crowd. If you'd like to play a GOOD game, I'd suggest "Graven: Purple Moon Prophecy". You'll find it has the extras of a CE for the price of a SE. AND...its FUN!
I don't recommend this game.
Was Veronica West’s death an accident… or a cold-blooded murder?
Overall rating
2
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Well...they DID create a world.
PostedDecember 21, 2014
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
Eipix. Creating Worlds. That is the logo. There is no doubt that they created a beautiful world. Rooms and rooms of Art Deco wonder. Its the GAMES that have become rather lackluster to me lately. I just cannot recommend a game that I have ZERO INTEREST in replaying and, in this case, even finishing.
The 'clue finder' just added interruptions to the actual game play. I found it uninteresting, unresponsive, and unnecessary. Frustrating and, I felt, really just a way to lengthen the game. The evidence board was just a glorified journal with a flashing exclamation point that I found distracting. There is an ACHIEVEMENT for spending more than five minutes reading it. Hmmm.
Morphing objects in the HOS. I definitely prefer them as part of the bigger picture. Had a bit of a problem with the game registering my clicks on the hidden objects. There were more than a few times when I KNEW I was selecting the correct item, but it just wasn't registering. Several times I ended switching over to the bubble shooter option just to be able to complete the scene. THAT is frustrating. If you're achievement driven you MUST play the bubble shooter anyway, but that wasn't my preference.
Puzzles were average. Nothing to get too excited about. It seemed that, generally, there just wasn't MUCH to get excited about. About 3/4 of the way through I couldn't even rally to find the remaining collectible stars. I made it through the main game, got started on the bonus game, and realized I had no desire to continue. So I didn't!
The very first game I ever played was an Eipix game. Final Cut: Death On The Silver Screen. I've played that game three times over. Enjoyed it every time. I'm sure I'll play it in the future too. This one will be a game I come across and think, "NO WAY!"
I don't recommend this game.
Christmas Eve: Midnight's Call Collector's Edition
Do you have what it takes to save Christmas?
Overall rating
1
/
5
10 of 19 found this review helpful
SAME OLD THING WRAPPED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
PostedDecember 12, 2014
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
That title pretty much says it all. Finished the demo with 60 minutes to spare. Gratuitous holiday fare with little to recommend it.
I don't recommend this game.
An unexpected invitation sends you to research mythical standing stones in Brittany.
Overall rating
5
/
5
227 of 237 found this review helpful
WELCOME TO THE SE THAT PUTS MOST CEs TO SHAME!
PostedDecember 12, 2014
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
BASED ON COMPLETED GAME
I've read some reviews from people who played the demo saying they've played this game before in some form or another. I beg to differ! They certainly haven't played THIS game! What a breath of fresh air!
The story drew me in from moment one! Love the mystery and art of the Druids. Beautiful graphics! Avalon was eye candy! I felt like I was part of a movie story board. Loved the ANGLES of view! Such imagination!
HOS that break the old molds! Such a variety, not just the overused list type. So pleased to be able to pick up and object and move it WITHIN THE SCENE, like I held it in my hand. I have been LONGING to see this happen. Never understood having to click on an item, have it go to inventory, then click on it again to use it. It may not seem like a big deal, but after you've played a certain number of these games, you'll find that detail to be downright innovative!
Puzzles are my favorite and I wasn't disappointed. Everything from pairs matching (tiered levels of difficulty) to "thinkers". All workable with time, lovely to look at, and FUN!
Lovely music. There were a couple of areas I hated to leave because the music was so enchanting. Wish I had it to play in my home!
This SE has achievements and collectibles! Mosaic parts that will be useful later in the game and MISTLETOE. Mistletoe, not because its holiday time, but because of its sacredness to the Druids. Loved that connection.
This game does come with a jumpable map but I found that I really didn't use it until close to the end of the game. It doesn't show active areas and I saw that as a good thing. Made me think! The story was linear enough with what was, to me, a logical progression. I wasn't collecting items, wondering what possible use something would be further on. That alone was refreshing!
Loved, loved, LOVED this game! I was totally absorbed the entire time and hated to see it end. These devs are right on the money and I will be happy to spend mine on future offerings. Worth every penny. Thank you Orchid Games and BFG!
I recommend this game!